Fish Tank Questions

[Joel]

My neighbor just moved out and left my little brother a fish tank and a whole shit load of accessories/pumps/fish food etc. and I was going to clean it up and set it up tonight. I have never had fish in my entire life nor have my parents and I don't know where to start! I need to know what to clean it with so I don't hurt the fish... What kind of fish will work with the set up.... and just in general how to set up the tank. Any help would be appreciated.

[DWeigs]

Well i hope this will help my dad has a 55 gallon tank so i know a little bit.
Start out buy filling the tank gallon by gallon of water thats about room tempature or about 70 Degrees. When your half full take a Green BRAND NEW Scrubby pad that you would use for the dishes( Make sure it was never used with anything or it could be fatal to your fishes) Just Scrub it out with that and then drain the water. Then fill again gallon by gallon until half full again. Then put all your gravel rocks plants etc. in at that time. Then fill the rest away with the water that is room tempature. Let the water sit for about 2-3 days, make the sure the filter and pumps are going to filter the water. Then go to the fish store and get some seasoned water and probably one tropical fish just to test the water to make sure its alright. Then talk to the pet store people for anything else. Thats all i know my dad will no more so if you have any questions let me know.

[Bryce]

Make a bong out of it!

[sitn2lo]

Coulndt have said it anybetter^^^^^^^^

[Turbo5Oh]

i wouldnt use a scruber pad they are coarse enough to scratch the glass and possible make it look hazy, just wash it out with plain water no chemicals unless its really bad there are some fish safe cleaner at pet stores

it depends on what fish want to have in it, cold or warm water fish?, what type of filter did it come with under gravel? hang on back? foam?if its an under gravel i wouldnt reccomend using it, hang on the back are probably the easiest

basically just rinse it out stick ur gravel in install ur filter and fill it with tap water and use a cholrine treament for the water, and set your heater temp. gold fish dont need a heater but tropicals usaly 78*f is a good temp. but it depends on the type of fish

once uve decided what fish u want make sure u read what they require for foods, temp., what other fish they can be with, alot of fish wont get along with each other

after every thing is set up let the tank sit for at least a week before u buy fish and alow the ammonia cycle to happen(takes longer then a week)
make sure ur first fish is the cheapest and most hardy because there is a good chance it will die during the cycle

oh yeah what size tank is it?

[Guest]

for what its worth, CCR (pete) told me he has a bunch of fish if you want them Joel. If you are interested let me know I guess and I'll PM him on MisterCMK.com...or better yet, join over there and send him a PM.

[MisterCMK]

Pete also knows a lot about setting up an aquarium, you might want to ask him a few questions.

[94NDTA]

Mike has some good advice. Don't anything too course on the glass. There are aquarium safe cleaners you can get, but warm water and a wash cloth is all that is needed.

Anotherthing. It is a used tank, I would re-seal it before setting it up. It may hold water, but when is the next time you will have to re-seal it? When is the next time it will be torn down, empty, and dry?

If it is and undergravel filter, it's junk, toss it, and don't look back. I have a couple power filters right now that I can part with if you are interested. I moved into an apartment that only allows one aquarium no larger than 30 gallons (bastards).

Also, get a python (hose) now if you don't have one. It makes thing A LOT easier. You can get them at walmart for half the price that they are at petco.

For a de-cholorinator, Amquel plus is a great great all around product. easy to use, will last forever.

Also, I should be having some Blue Acara babies comming up if you wanna buy some for cheap. The fish are kinda rare (especially around here) and are very very pretty.

This picture doesn't do the justice.

If you need any other advice, Mike (turbo50h) and I know a good amount, feel free to ask.